Comments on: Holding autistic people hostage is not a way to fight for our rights.

By: andreashettle

andreashettle — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 21:04:03 +0000

Thank you for linking to that story, Will. It’s sad and terrible that the boy died (one more statistic pointing to why chelation is a terrible idea), but at least the doctor is actually being charged for it.

By: will

will — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 14:50:55 +0000

http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/information/news?EntryId=28286

By: M

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 10:43:10 +0000

I was reminded of this rather good piece in the Guardian – that men who kill their (generally non-disabled) children, they often say that they were driven to it by their wife having an affair; but “Affairs happen all the time and people don’t respond by killing their children”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,1939881,00.html

By: ballastexistenz

ballastexistenz — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 17:45:50 +0000

n.: It mysteriously showed up again, so it’s posted. I don’t actually think that they all know that’s what they’re doing. But I do think that’s what they’re doing, when they say that stuff.

By: n.

n. — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 16:12:55 +0000

CA Girl, that was such a nice article. There is some very British-style talent for making things understated and matter-of-fact, that should be understated and matter-of-fact, because they are just life, actually. I think in the USA we may be even worse drama queens than he says people in general are. Wanted to cry at various points reading that, but this bit was what did it, of course: "A chance gathering in my kitchen: three people. My wife, who has some gypsy blood. Eddie. A friend who is Jewish. And the realisation that, under Hitler, all three would have been bound for the ovens. Down’s syndrome, any more than Jewishness or gipsyhood, is not something that needs to be wiped out for the good of humanity."

By: n.

n. — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15:50:46 +0000

Hi AB. Here is what I wrote before. From the reader’s view (?) of the blog, I can still see it as “awaiting moderation”:

“sorry to be so slow at catching this idea, but it’s finally starting to click. guess part of it was this: i just couldn’t get my mind round the idea of people using their kids that way, thought it had to be something else. guess i couldn’t imagine real live parents being more concerned with ‘normal way of life’ than with their kid’s safety. guess i almost couldn’t imagine people treating their and others’ kids the way uncaring leaders and terrorists treat peasants.”

I was in a strange frame of mind when I wrote that comment, but I think it’s still true.

By: ballastexistenz

ballastexistenz — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:11:16 +0000

Okay, I could have sworn there was one more reply to this, by n. But now I don’t see it. Ugh. (I’ve been accidentally deleting a lot of stuff lately because of the sheer amount of spam to plow through.) Sorry.

By: Jeff Rollin

Jeff Rollin — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 06:20:27 +0000

Too.

S***ing.

Right.

By: California Girl

California Girl — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 01:38:19 +0000

For a completely opposite, and very refreshing, view of how a “disabled” child does not need to “burden” a “normal” parent, I suggest people go to

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8123-2448700,00.html

and read the article “I’m Not a Saint, Just a Parent.” It’s written by a father who values his son (who has Down’s syndrome) completely. In the article he says, “But no, I don’t want his essential nature changed….I’ll go further: human beings are not better off without Down’s syndrome.”

I think you would enjoy reading it, and so would many of the people who comment here. I wish this article could be spread throughout the community of families/people living with various disabilities.

By: n.

n. — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 13:15:27 +0000

sorry to be so slow at catching this idea, but it’s finally starting to click. guess part of it was this: i just couldn’t get my mind round the idea of people using their kids that way, thought it had to be something else. guess i couldn’t imagine real live parents being more concerned with ‘normal way of life’ than with their kid’s safety. guess i almost couldn’t imagine people treating their and others’ kids the way uncaring leaders and terrorists treat peasants.